Mercury-cooling system



L MIDGLEY, 1R. MERCURY COOLING SYSTEM. APPLICATION vFILED'JAN-I2. 191.8.

'Patented Jan. 13,1920'.

THQMAS MDGLEY, JR., Oli? DAYTON, OH'IO, ASSIGNOB, T0 THE IAYTON ENGINEEl'ilml'zry LABORATORIES CMPANY, A CORPORATION F OHIO.

MERCURY-COOLING asesoria.

Application flied January 12, 1913.

To all wom t may concern.' g

' Beitknown that l, THOMAS MIDGLEY, dr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Eayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mercury- Cooling Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to eelt contained cooling systems for spark plugs and puppet valves, and machine parts of a similar character of which a portion thereof is subjected toa high degree of temperature.

The object of this invention the pro vision of means for preventing the clogging of the cooling Amedium contained in the cooling system, and particularly where the passages in the system for the cooling ine-- dium are small. Y r

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following' description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view oic a spark plug embodying the present invention; a

Fig. 2 is a bott-om plan view thereot'; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section vView of a valve showing the application of the present invention.

Referring' to Lne drawing, 2() designates the spark plug having a shell portion 2l carrying shell points 27 designates the center electrode carrying a center point 28,

and supported b v the shell 2l by means oi 47 designates a quantity of mercury at the bottom of this chamber 52.

. The operation of the cooling system is as follows:

When the center Contact is heated by the burning gases in the engine cylinder, the l.heat therefrom passes from the head portion oi the center electrode 27 into the quan- Spe'ccaton of Letters Patent.

lresides in the provision of caricia?.

SYSTEM'.

patenten aan. is, ieee. serial No. 211,694. l

tity of mercury 4:7, which is caused to boil and evaporate vand ascend ina vaporous i state to the upper end of the chamber. The

heat from the mercury vapor Will be transferred into the Wall of the electrode through the heat transferring amalgam lining 43.

From the Wall of the electrode heat Will be Y radiated by means of the radiator nut 41. The mercury vapor being cooled upon giving up its heat in the manner describech, will condense and return to thebottom of the ,t-uhe,l again to receive heat from the center Kettering, Serial No. 211,425, filed January 1l, .1919. r

ln spark plugs, of the sizes used generally in automobile engine work, the diameter of the chamber in the center electrode is neces-- sarily small.' l have discovered in the operation ot' such spark plugs that 'instead of the mercury vapor, upon condensing, running down the side of' the chamber to the bot tom, as in the case of chambers of large diameter, there is a tendency for the mercury, upon condensing, to be held in vthe upper end of the chamber by the pressure of the vapor underneath. The broken line 47 in Fig. l indicates t-he position taken by the mercury on condensing in cooling chambers oi' small diameter. lVIy invention devices which will overcome the difficulty just described. I have discovered that by providing some means which will permit the-passage of the uncondensed mercury vapor through 'the clogging body or mercury, and which will not interfere with the operation of the cooling system, that l can utilize the pressure of the mercury vapor to force the clogging mercury down to the bottom of the cooling chamber. As a practical embodiment of my discovery, l have provided in the chamber 52 of the center elect-rode 27 a vent member 50 consisting of a bundle of small wires loosely twisted together located cen- -A trally of, and extendmg tnroughout the* length of said cooling chamber. lt has been found that: the mercury will not collect in the inter-sticos between the Wire strands of the member 50. and therefore the vapor untles derneath the clogging body of mercury at 47, has a free passage upwardly through the member 50, whence said vapor may lind its way to a point above the mercury and can force the same downwardly to the bottom of the chamber.

Referring to Big. 3, 53 designates a valve having a head 48 to which is joined as by welding at X, a valve stein l'lhaving a head portion 23 which is provided with heat radiating ins'49. As in' the case oit' the center electrode 27 of the spark plug just described,

the valve stem 51 is provided with a cooling chamber 52 having a chamber lining 43 of lmetallic amalgam. 4:7 designates a quantity ofiincrcury at the bottom oI the chamber' 52 and lthe function of said mercury is exactly the mme as in the casel of mercury 47 contained in the cooling chamber' of the spark plug. 47a designates the position taken by the 'mercury upon condensing in valve coolin chambers of small diameters.

ralves of the kind illustrated in Fig. 3 yare described more fully and claimed in the copending application of Charles F. Kettering, Serial No. 211,156, tiled January 10, 1918 and in. my copending application Serial No. 211,224, filed January 10, 1918. Fig. -3 shows, however, an application of my invention to a valve having a cooling chamber of small diameter. 50 designates the vent member having the same function as the member 50 of the spark plug. p

1While I have shown the improved cooling system embodying myvinvention, as applicdto a spark plug and 'an engine valve, 1 wish to have it understood that the application oi' my invention is not to be limited to the structures described, but that said invention may be applied generally'to other mechanical parts of a similar character having a self contained cooling system, suoli other applications of my invention all coming within a scope of the claims which follow.

l/Vhat is claimed -is follows.

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an element to be cooled providcdnvith a cooling chamber; of a fluid coolingmediinn in the chamber; and means located inzthe chamber providing for the passage of the fluid cooling medium throughy out the entire length of the chamber.

2. ln a device of the character described, the combination. with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; oit

a iluid cooling medium and vent member lo cated in the chamber'.

3. In a device of the character described,

-the combination with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; of a quantity oit' liuid metal and vent member 'located in the chamber.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; of a quantity of uid metal .and ventmember located in the chamber, said. member comprising a bundle of wires loosely twisted together.

5. In a the combination with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; of a heat ltransferring lining for the chamber; a iluid cooling medium in the chamber; anda vent member located in the chamber.

6. 1n a device of the character described, the combination with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; of a heat transferring lining for the chamber; a Huid metal cooling medium in the chamber; and a vent member located in the chamber.

7. In a device of the character described,

. the combination with an element to be cooled provided with a cooling chamber; of a heat transferring amalgam lining .for the chamber; a quantity of mercury in the chamber,`

and a vent member located in the chamber. 8. 1n a device of the character described,

' thevcombinationwith an element to be coole( provided with a cooling chamber; of a heat transferring amalgam lining for the chamber; a quantity of mercury in the chamber,`

Vtion and a head portion carrying an elec- -trode spark' point, said hollow stem portion device oi: the characterA described,

adapted to contain a'quantity of fluid cooling medium; and means for closing the upper end of said stom portion and for supporting a vent member extending downy xto the bottom'of said stem portion.

ln testimony whereof 1 aix my signature.

THOMAS li/HDGLEY, (in. Witnesses lliliiwiin'n BnniinoLL, Lewis Rowe. 

